What is the most common type of school-related tort?

The most common type of school-related tort involves suits brought by parents on behalf of students. This reflects the legal principle that parents have the responsibility to seek remedy for injuries their children may sustain while at school. Schools have a duty of care to provide a safe environment for students. When this duty is breached, such as through negligence leading to a student’s injury, parents often file lawsuits to address the harm suffered by their children.

This type of claim typically arises from situations where a student is injured due to inadequate supervision, unsafe conditions, or failure to implement proper safety protocols. As these claims focus on the responsibility schools have toward their students, they are prevalent in the context of school law.

In contrast, while injuries due to faulty school equipment or damage to school property can certainly lead to legal action, these types of claims are relatively less common in comparison to those initiated by parents on behalf of their injured children. Suits by teachers against students are also less common, as they don’t typically involve tort law in the same way that parent-initiated claims do. Understanding these dynamics can help clarify why parent lawsuits are the most frequently encountered types of school-related torts.